Prophet Isa al Masih’s (PBUH) Word of Authority over Nature

In our last two articles we saw how the Prophet Isa al Masih (PBUH) taught with authority and even had such authority that he could heal diseases and evil spirits (jinn) ‘with a word’. But what was even more astounding was that he also had authority over nature. The Injil records once how he crossed the lake with his disciples in such a way that filled them with ‘fear and amazement’. Here is the account:

22 One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. 23 As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.

He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 25 “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.

In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.” (Luke 8:22-25)

The word of Isa al Masih (PBUH) commanded even the wind and the waves! No wonder the disciples who were there with him witnessing this event were filled with fear. That authority to command made them wonder who he was. There was also another occasion when they were with thousands of people and he had such authority that the people again asked who he was. But this time he did not command wind and wave – but food. Here is the account

Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near.

5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself. (John 6:1-15)

When the people saw that Isa al Masih (PBUH) could multiply food many times over so that five loaves and two fish could feed 5000 men and still provide left-overs they knew he was a unique prophet. So they wondered if he was the Prophet that the Taurat of Musa (PBUH) had predicted long ago would come. In fact we know that Isa al Masih (PBUH) was indeed this Prophet because the Taurat had said of this Prophet that

I (Allah) will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that The Prophet speaks in my name. (Deuteronomy 18: 18-19)

The Sign of this Prophet was that Allah would put His very ‘words in the mouth’ of this Prophet. What separates the Words of Allah from that of men? The best description is that found in Surah YA-SIN

Verily, when He intends a thing, His Command is, “be”, and it is! (Ya-sin 36: 82)

We saw in the last article that the prophet Isa al Masih (PBUH) healed diseases and cast out evil spirits simply ‘with a word’ Here we see that he speaks a Word and the wind and waves obey. And then later he speaks and the bread multiplies. These Signs fit the description given in the Taurat for this Prophet where the words of Allah were put in his mouth because when Isa al Masih spoke – it came to be!

But it is so interesting that the disciples themselves, at this point, had a hard time understanding all this. They did not understand the significance of multiplying the loaves of bread. We know this because the Injil records that right after the feeding of the 5000 that:

45 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.

47 Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. 48 He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, 50 because they all saw him and were terrified.

Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 51 Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, 52 for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.

53 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. 54 As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. 55 They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed. (Mark 6:45-56)

Again, the prophet Isa al Masih spoke a Word of Authority and it came to ‘be’. But the disciples did ‘not understand’. The reason that they did not understand was not that they were not intelligent; it was not because they were not there; not because they were bad disciples; nor was it because they were unbelievers. No, it says that their ‘hearts were hardened’. Remember how the Prophet Jeremiah (PBUH) had prophesied that a New Covenant was coming – where the Law was going to be written inside our hearts. Until that Covenant has changed a person their heart is hard – even the hearts of close followers of The Prophet! And our hard hearts keep us also from understanding the spiritual truth revealed by the prophets.

This is why the preparing work of the Prophet Yahya (PBUH) is so important. We saw that he called people to repent by confessing their sin instead of trying to hide it. If the disciples of Isa al Masih had hard hearts that needed repenting and confessing of sin, how much more you and me! Perhaps you will join with me in praying silently in your heart to Allah (He knows even our thoughts so we can pray simply by thinking) in the form of confession given by Dawud (PBUH):

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion blot out my sins.
Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me and lead me to understand your Revelation.

This is a prayer I pray and I encourage you to do this also so that the Messages of the Prophets will be understood by soft and pure hearts as we continue to learn from the Injil.